The city of Lleida, capital of Segrià, will see its cultural offering reduced with the definitive closure of the El Genet Blau bookstore. After 25 years open to the public, the literary cooperative has decided to close its physical store in mid-June.

Founded in 2001 by Roser Trepat and Eva Esteve, and later acquired by Mertxe París in 2018, who managed the business together with Rafel Folch, El Genet Blau has been a key point for promoting reading and culture in the city. The cooperative also includes a publishing house and organizes cultural events.

As explained by París and Folch in a video shared on social media, the decision is driven by the need for energy for new projects and the personal desire to travel. "The anchor of having a physical store means you have to be rooted in one place, and we want to experience and travel," said París, emphasizing that it was a "meditated and conscious" decision.

Despite the closure of the physical bookstore, the El Genet Blau brand will remain active. Folch noted that it "will continue riding in other places" and that they are already working on a new cultural project. Furthermore, the possibility of successors for the physical store is open, although the brand and name will remain with the current owners.

As a farewell, El Genet Blau will offer a 5% discount on books and 10% on toys until the closing date. París expressed her "infinite gratitude" for the 25 years, stating that it made them "very happy" and they had never dreamed of owning a bookstore.